LoginWisconsin tribes invest in surveillance technology
A Flock camera on the Lac Courte Orielles Reservation in Saywer County. | Photo by Frank Zufall/Wisconsin Examiner
The Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Tribal Police Office in Vilas County has a resource most rural law enforcement wouldn’t imagine: a surveillance room with approximately two dozen screens that are monitored by a full-time staff of four and two part-time workers.
Feeding images to those monitors are 160-plus cameras overlooking the central village area, less than one square mile of the reservation, including tribal administrative and commercial businesses.
There’s a good chance there isn’t another northern Wisconsin public space with such a high concentration of cameras or a staff to monitor the live images that are also recorded and stored for a minimum of 30 days.
A post on the tribe’s Facebook page by Clinton D. Isham, first revealed the extent of the tribe’s surveillance capabilities to the Wisconsin Examiner.
“Bro, all those cameras that the Tribal police put up better pay off. Police want to do surveillance on Indians to lock us up, but can’t use them to protect us,” Isham wrote.
Isham’s comment was directed at why those 160-plus cameras at LDF didn’t record any image of Melissa Beson, 37, a tribal member who was last seen on the reservation on March 17 – the site where Beson was last seen was just outside the area of the cameras.
LDF Tribal Police Chief T.J. Bill said there’s another tribe in the Midwest interested in replicating what LDF has created as a way to improve safety for tribal members.
The significant investment at LDF in surveillance prompted the question of whether other Wisconsin tribes have also secured surveillance systems to address safety concerns and whether they are considering acquiring additional surveillance technology.
The Examiner reached out to most of the other 11 federally recognized Wisconsin tribes about their surveillance, and along with LDF, three others responded: Oneida, Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO), and St. Croix.
Police chiefs of the four tribes said it appears that there is a high interest in using surveillance technology among the tribes, particularly a technology called Flock.
Overall, the police chiefs said tribal members are supportive of using surveillance technology, including a reported survey by one tribe that tallied over 80% support by its members.
While law enforcement officials said the use of surveillance technology and implementation of the Flock system was broadly popular among tribal members, the expansion of surveillance capabilities has drawn controversy elsewhere in Wisconsin.
The Milwaukee Police Department and Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department have recently been at the center of a debate about the use of surveillance cameras and Flock.
“It is critical that our community has a say in if and how invasive surveillance technologies are used, how they are deployed against residents, if and how their data is stored and shared with third parties, and whether spending our limited tax dollars on surveillance technologies is the best way to promote public safety,” the ACLU of Wisconsin wrote in a May letter to the Milwaukee Common Council.
Lac du Flambeau
Bill, the LDF tribal police chief, who began working with the tribe in 2013, stated that the surveillance system was already in place when he joined the department. He said that employees of the tribe’s IT department did the wiring and placement of the cameras, mostly between 2010 and 2011.
“It was directed by the tribal government, the tribal council, who wanted it for the protection of the people, for the safety of the public,” said Bill.
Bill said he didn’t know the motivation behind the creation of the surveillance system but noted that the LDF police department has been at the forefront of using technology and was one of the first law enforcement agencies in the area that had officers wearing body cameras.
“We don’t have 24/7 coverage,” he said of the cameras being monitored by staff, “but we strategically place them (staff) during the busy times, so it all depends on what’s going on, what our crime statistics tell us.”
Besides the 160 cameras, the tribe’s casino has its own internal surveillance system, which the casino monitors, a typical feature for casinos. The nearby LDF K-12 school also has its own surveillance system, which the police department can access and monitor.
With all the cameras in the LDF police department’s inventory, Beson wasn’t recorded because she was last seen in an area where there are no cameras. Bill said there have been efforts to put up remote cameras to monitor using cellular coverage, but cellular coverage is poor in the reservation and the county.
“We can’t rely on cellular-based equipment, especially during the summertime when our population goes from 4,000 individuals to 50,000 (including tourists and seasonal residents) because everyone is on their cell phones,” he said. “The cell service is horrible here in the Northwoods, so we have to rely on something else because we tried cameras in remote locations outside of the community where we can’t hook up electricity or fiber, and it doesn’t work.”
The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) helped LDF set up a surveillance camera on Highway 70 near a former hotel that was being used for drug sales and possible human trafficking, but because that camera used a cellular connection, it wasn’t reliable.
Bill said the tribe has used recorded surveillance video to prosecute several offenses, including a string of burglaries.
“We went through the surveillance cameras and we found a couple of different vehicles, and we located one vehicle of interest and were able to track that vehicle through town, even though it was nighttime, and we were able to make an arrest for the burglaries,” he said.
They’ve also made several drug arrests using surveillance images.
“We’re able to watch individuals who make transactions,” he said. “The cameras are so good that we’re able to see into the cars where they’re doing the deals and catch them. We see the money exchanged in the car and a package delivered to the other person.”
A live feed from the convenience store showed a man lifting his wallet out of his pants and a small baggie with a white substance falling out, which alerted one of the monitors.
“He walked out of there and didn’t realize he had dropped it,” said Bill. “We went over there and we picked it up and it was a bag of cocaine.” Later, the man was charged with possession.
The big question is, do all the cameras make people safer, and do they deter crime?
Bill said the serious drug dealers know about the cameras and stay out of that area, but there are still some who forget about the cameras or think they hide their actions, but that’s pretty difficult when there are 160-plus cameras in such a concentrated area.
“For the most part, in my opinion, it is a deterrent,” he said. “To those we have arrested and interviewed, they’ll say they are doing the crimes, the transactions, outside the area of the cameras because they are everywhere, so it is a deterrent for them not to do their activity directly in the community, so they take their criminal activity outside that area.”
Having recorded digital evidence, said Bill, helps prosecute offenses.
“You go to court and you provide the evidence, that’s a huge part, not only to help with the investigation but also to protect the officer from allegations.”
Bill said there is support for expanding the surveillance system. This summer, the tribe is looking at using recently laid fiber optic lines to expand the system, allowing cameras to provide coverage of the more rural areas of the reservation such as where Beson was last seen.
Bill said there haven’t been complaints from tribal members over a lack of privacy or a “Big Brother” complaint about being observed by authorities when they are in the village area of the reservation.
“You get a complaint here and there, but it’s very few,” he said. “We don’t get the Big Brother concern. Overall, the community is in support of it.”
Oneida Nation
Eric Boulanger is the chief of police for the Oneida Nation in Northeast Wisconsin near Green Bay.
According to Boulanger, Oneida has a Security Department that is part of the tribe’s gaming commission that monitors cameras in parking lots outside the casino and several different businesses and buildings, and the school has a security department that monitors cameras within the school that the police also have the ability to access.
Over two years ago, Oneida also invested in four Flock cameras for use by the police department, which uses cameras and computers to record and track license plates. With Flock, Oneida has also integrated with the larger Flock system, which allows for searching and tracking vehicles in other communities.
Boulanger said what drove the investment in Flock is the positive reports from other local law enforcement.
“It’s a great law enforcement tool in general, not just for Oneida but any community that uses them,” said Boulanger. “It’s a fairly advanced system, and you’re able to search for vehicles and plates and that sort of thing. It lets you know if what you’re looking for is in your area.”
He added, “If you have an incident and you have any sort of vehicle description or if you have a suspect and you know their vehicle information, you can enter that into the system and then it’ll give you feedback on whether or not that vehicle was in your area.”
He added, “If you’re looking for a white Ford Bronco, you can put those parameters in there, and then they’ll show you pictures of those vehicles in a particular area.”
He was asked if the four Flock cameras are sufficient to cover the reservation.
“In the future, we may expand it,” he said. “Everything comes with a cost. They’re not real affordable, but you know where we have them placed, and with the other agencies in the area and the ability to use theirs, there’s pretty good coverage right now of our main thoroughfares, and highly trafficked areas.”
Asked if the surveillance cameras and Flock cameras help deter crime at Oneida, he said, “Well, you would think they would, but there are still plenty of people doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing.”
“The cameras aren’t hidden, so it’s quite obvious and it’s posted, the areas under surveillance, “but people still do what they’re going to do. So, I mean, I would imagine it would deter some people, but obviously, it doesn’t deter everybody.”
He noted that recorded footage is very useful in the prosecution of a crime.
“Jurors and judges and prosecutors and defense attorneys like to have video,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to dispute a claim on either side if there is video.”
Boulanger hasn’t heard objections to the surveillance cameras or Flock.
“I haven’t heard any specific comments, nobody has directly addressed concerns with me about it, but I feel our community is pretty public safety cautious, so I think they’re probably more on the side of in favor of it than anybody would be against,” he said.
Lac Courte Oreilles
The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indian Tribal Chief Susie Taylor said the tribal police doesn’t have a surveillance system of cameras operated by the police department or a special security department. Still, police have used footage from the casino for investigations, and the K-12 school does have its own surveillance system of cameras.
She notes that former chief of police Tim DeBrot was instrumental in securing Flock cameras for the tribe, which were placed earlier this year.
Taylor said the Flock cameras record and track information about vehicles, but they will not be used for speeding violations. She said the primary use is in the investigation of crimes.
In March, Taylor put out a press release about the Flock cameras that was printed in the Lac Courte Oreilles News:
“Flock cameras are designed to enhance public safety by capturing objective evidence, including license plate information, to help law enforcement prevent and solve crimes. These cameras do not use facial recognition and are not intended for traffic enforcement. Instead, they serve as a valuable investigative tool to identify stolen vehicles, locate missing children and adults, and deter criminal activity.”
In the press release, Taylor noted that the data from the cameras is stored and then deleted after a certain number of days if it is not being used in an investigation, and access to the information is limited to “authorized personnel” and not used for “surveillance or tracking individuals without cause.”
She also noted to the Wisconsin Examiner that the Flock cameras, by tying into the larger network of cameras, allow for the sharing of information across jurisdictional boundaries.
“Many other law enforcement agencies across the country have implemented Flock cameras due to their effectiveness in reducing crime and enhancing community safety,” she said.
She noted there are Flock cameras off the region’s major highway, Highway 53, located in Washburn County, that would be very effective in helping track a vehicle that had been on the reservation in Sawyer County.
Joe Morey, public relations director for LCO, said a survey of tribal members had been conducted regarding the use of surveillance technology, and over 80% of respondents were in support.
St. Croix
Of the four tribes, the St. Croix Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has the least investment and deployment of surveillance equipment.
According to police chief Donnie Holmes, in 2014-15, the St. Croix Tribal Police Department began using body cameras.
Holmes said his office will place stand-alone cameras to address individual complaints or for investigations. As an example, he mentioned that there were complaints at the Sand Lake basketball court and parking area, where robberies had occurred, so cameras were installed on the assumption that the criminals might return.
Individual tribal businesses have their own security system for recording video that could be used for an investigation or prosecution.
“Super expensive,” Holmes said of the cost of implementing a surveillance system for St. Croix similar to LDF’s or even Oneida’s. He said for St. Croix it would be even more of a challenge in that the reservation is located in pockets of land over four different counties: Burnett, Barron, Douglas and Polk.
However, St. Croix is exploring the acquisition of Flock cameras. The biggest factor against proceeding is the cost.
Holmes appreciates the capability of Flock cameras, especially for integrating with other Flock cameras to track a suspect’s vehicle. If a vehicle can be identified, Holmes believes Flock cameras would be helpful locating a missing person.
“The nice thing about Flock is they can alert to car movements with other cameras tied to the system,” he said.
Holmes was asked if tribal members would have any objections to having a more advanced surveillance system, and he noted that there is some interest in investing in technology, but he also wonders if there would be objections over privacy rights if a surveillance system became too expansive.
Flock
Holly Beilin, director of communication for Flock, said in Wisconsin three tribes are using Flock cameras and in the United States 24 tribes have it, but because of confidentiality, she cannot identify which tribes have it.
Boulanger, the Oneida Nation chief, was asked why he thinks tribes are showing an interest in Flock cameras.
“With technology it’s a useful investigative tool,” he said, “And if you know any tribal agencies or tribal nations that have independent police departments and can fiscally handle the cost, it is probably going to look towards some sort of Flock or surveillance system just because that’s the trend right now in law enforcement, using technology.”
Beilin objected when told that at least two of the police chiefs said the Flock system is pricey.
“We typically hear it is much more cost-effective than other solutions,” she responded.
One of the big issues across Indian Country is missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives. The Flock cameras can be especially helpful for missing persons because they are automatically tied to Amber Alerts for children and Silver Alerts for seniors.
Beilin said Flock is working on incorporating the new federal alert for Native Americans, called Missing and Endangered Persons (MEP), which will be implemented later in 2025 and will be known as Turquoise Alerts.
“If a vehicle is associated with an Amber Alert, the license plate passes a camera in real time and will alert local law enforcement, so that law enforcement know, like, OK, that vehicle just passed this camera and is going in this direction, so it’ll be, you know, at this location, in five minutes,’” she said, “and they can actually go, hopefully, and apprehend that person.”
However, she noted that those who use the Flock system don’t have to tie into the larger network of Flock cameras and instead can just use them locally. She also noted the local user is responsible for how long information is stored.
“No customer has to share,” she said. “So if a tribe wanted to share with local law enforcement nearby, they could, and if they wanted to just have their own police get those alerts and use it for investigations. That would also be fine,”
She was asked what is Flock’s appeal for tribes.
“It actually works,” she said. “It solves crime, and it helps find missing persons. I mean, we just really see that as soon as the cameras are installed, it starts to actually help these agencies or these tribes. You know, the vast majority of crime has some kind of a vehicle involved, right? Which makes sense. We all literally drive daily, and as do folks who commit crime.”
As for whether the Flock system infringes upon privacy rights,“We don’t own the data, the agencies or the tribes do, so they can choose what to do with it,” she said. “We can never sell it or share it without their permission. They can set or legislate their own retention period, so maybe they only want to keep the data for. Our default (to erase data collected) is 30 days, but it could be even less.”
Cameras in the Southwest
Sergio DeSoto is a consultant from Arizona who works with tribes in the Southwestern areas of the United States on surveillance systems. He said that most tribes he has worked with invest in camera security after an incident has raised safety concerns.
“We hear, ‘we want to make sure our people are safe,’” he said.
DeSoto said surveillance cameras are typically requested for housing, administration, courts, and border security, and most tribes have staff who live-monitor cameras.
The safety concern can be over external issues like sex trafficking on the reservation, or internal issues of domestic disputes or alcohol or drug-related issues.
He said the No. 1 motivation for the tribal nation he deals with is personal safety.
“They’re not interested in the assets; they’re more interested in the people,” he said.
Typically, he said, there is an issue or an incident that drives a discussion about how to raise safety at a particular location, such as a homicide in tribal housing. Once the surveillance system has been in place for a while, the tribe often requests help focusing on other areas on the reservation.
DeSota said the tribal councils are also learning the importance of educating tribal members before implementing a new surveillance system.
“With the elder center in Quechan (Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe in Yuma, Arizona), the tribal council did a super good job communicating with them that we want to make sure everybody’s safe,” he said.
Regarding the question of whether surveillance cameras help deter crime and increase safety, DeSota said he doesn’t have any data to support that contention. However, he noted that when tribes consistently seek to expand their systems, it would indicate that they are receiving positive feedback.
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